Fly Fisher Reviews

Happy Fishermen and Flyfisherwomen

Below are the comments of some happy fly fishermen and fisherwomen who have enjoyed a day(s) on the water with me. Rewards as a guide are that my anglers caught fish, learned something and above all had a really fun day…..not necessarily in that order. If you are an angler who would like to post your comments please see the comments section at the bottom of the page. Your e mail address will neither be shown on this site nor shared with any one. This page is to help future anglers looking for a fun day trout fishing on the the Western NC trout streams.

To book a trip call: 828.226.3833

Write a new entry for the Guestbook

Name: *

City:

Email: *

Website:

Guestbook entry: *

Fields marked with * are obligatory.
Your E-mail address wil not be published.
For security reasons we save the ip address 54.162.229.109.
It might be that your entry will only be visible in the guestbook after we reviewed it.
We reserve our right to edit, delete, or not publish entries.

Got the wife up 5 am to get ready for her first experience fly fishing in waders, on a cold morning in late October. Tom had her fishing minutes after sunrise. Did I mention it was COLD !!!! She caught the first fish, the last fish, the most fish AND the biggest fish of the day. Tom took great care to keep her from "swimming" and was an excellent teacher. Maria was so excited and is now looking forward to our next visit to NC and fishing with Tom. I have been fishing for over 40 years and thoroughly enjoyed watching their interaction on the water. It goes without saying that if you want one of the best guides in Western NC--Tom is your man. By the way, Tom, as I write this review, she is now standing on top of a 35 quart Yeti cooler at the front of the boat fly fishing for Snook and Redfish.... thanks for making her first fly fishing experience turn into a passion !!!!

I don't think I've seen a bigger smile on my son's face after his return from fishing with Tom since he got his braces off at 14 (he's now 20)! He said Tom is an excellent guide, very professional, knows the water's well and was very patient. Aside from the many fish he caught, Tom also taught him how to tie his own flies. I suspect Tom will be seeing more of my son since he's only a couple hours away! I would highly recommend Tom as a guide.

I fished with Tom on the West Fork of the Pigeon River today during the Delayed Harvest. I had one of the best fishing experiences of my life! The river was recently stocked and full of fish. Tom's expertise in finding the right flies and presenting them to the fish properly really paid off for me. We caught a ton of fish! I can't express my gratitude enough. Thanks Tom!

I fished with Tom 8 times during July and August 2014. As a novice fly fisherman I was very nervous before the first trip. After being with him for 10 minutes I knew that I’d picked the perfect guide, he was very patient, a great teacher and a good person to be around. He took me to many small creeks and several large rivers. Every trip he was teaching me new techniques to improve my casting, how to fish the different streams, when and why to use different flies. After fishing with him a couple of times I had enough confidence to strike out on my own and explore the many creeks in the area, then the next time we fished together I’d tell him of the problems I’d had and he always had suggestions to make it easier for me the next time that I encountered that situation. I can’t wait to go back to Western North Carolina to fish with Tom again; he has many more rivers that he is going to take me to.

Had a great day on the water with Tom. There are not many guides that can put you on fish with rain and a falling barometer!! We worked several areas of water and I thoroughly enjoyed learning some new techniques from another "true fisherman." His expertise and demeanor make for a great day on the water. I fished with four different NC guides on my month long trip. Tom is one of the best in Western NC.

My husband and I had the great pleasure of having Tom Hopkins for our guide last week. He was patient, kind, funny and extremely knowledgeable about trout and the river. I learned so much and both of us caught a lot of fish. While my husband is a more experienced fisherman; I took full advantage of having this master teacher for four hours. We could not have had a better day and can't wait to return next year.

My brother and I spent a great Thursday morning with Tom on the Tuck. Caught lots of trout, my brother got the 'slam', I only missed a Brookie, and more importantly we both learned new skills and tips while having an exceptional time with a knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend Tom.

Tom took 3 of my family members fishing over Thanksgiving and we had a blast. We caught a tone of fish on our half-day trip. Tom is a great teacher and very patient. We look forward booking another trip around the same time next year..

I took my 30 year old son who had never gone fly fishing before with Tom. He taught him well and coached me at the same time. We both caught over a dozen fish. The second day it was storming, so he showed me other good spots to fish in the area without charging us! A very knowledgeable, friendly guide, very good w beginners!

My son, son-in-law and myself met Tom for a morning of fishing after Thanksgiving. Tom gave us a 5 Star experience! It felt like fishing with an old friend after only a few minutes.(That friend being one very patient with someone like myself that had no fly fishing experience) Thanks Again!

Last April, I was looking for a way for my son, his grandfather and myself to spend some quality time together and chose fly fishing in the NC mountains. Honestly, when I am looking to decide on a trip or a purchase, my tendency is to thoroughly research my options. I hit a home run by choosing Tom Hopkins to serve as our guide. Tom has such a fine demeanor and is obviously very knowledgeable in the “art” of fly fishing. Admittedly, I was a complete novice but Tom was patient. He’s laid back and gave great instruction. It wasn’t long until Tom appeared as much a friend to all three of us as he was an awesome guide. There is no doubt that when we make our next trip, Tom will be the one I call first!

I had the pleasure of fishing with Tom Hopkins on the 21 October 2013. Tom, introduced me to the West Fork of the Pigeon River. This is a beautiful freestone river and Tom knows where the fish are. Tom, is a fabulous giude and teacher. I picked several bad habits over the years and Tom was able to assist in refining my technique. Tom, is extremely patient and has an excellente sense of humor. I will defenately fish with Tom again.

My wife and I had a great time w Tom on the Pigeon. He was patient w a newbie, knowledgeable about the stream(s), offered some good tips to a slightly more experienced fisher and had a upbeat attitude the entire time. We will be using him again on our nest trip to NC.

We visited the area and stayed at a nice bed and breakfast. I surprised my husband for a fly fishing lesson with Tom. My husband loved it and was very impressed with Tom. He couldn't have had a better instructor. Tom has years of knowledge. Book with him. You will not regret it! 5 stars!

we came to Tennessee to explore the outback - what better way than s spot of fishing. Tom was superb company, an excellent tutor and a great fishing guide. he certainly knows his stuff. We had a great day, caught some fish, shared some stories and left a little bit richer for the experience. Couldn't recommend Tom more.....

The day I went out with Tom was my first fishing in two or three years -- I'm not very good. We spent the morning on the river, and I learned a tremendous amount about fish, flies, technique, protocol, and natural history. I did not catch a fish -- I think there were not a lot of them in the river at that point of the season -- but I had a great time and more energy for the sport! Wanna go fly fishing? Give Tom a call! I certainly will!

August 11, 2013 Tom picked my son and I up in Franklin and he brought us to a beautiful private stream for the day. The rainbow where plentiful as was the company. Tom could not have been more accommodating to the both of us. This was a day my son and I will remember. Thanks Tom

Had the opportunity to go out with Tom with my 3 kids ages 12, 11, and 8. Started the day learning to cast and ended the day all having caught fish. Couldn't have asked for a more patient guide and excellent teacher. Would highly recommend Tom to anyone no matter their age.

Going trout fishing had been on my bucket list for many years. I grew up in New England with a father that always managed to find a fishing spot no matter where we went, but I never got to fish in a trout stream myself. So I was really looking forward to our trip to North Carolina, and am very happy we found Tom. He really knows his way around, provided all our gear, and was very patient with my husband (another novice) and me. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and look forward to meeting up with Tom again on our next trip up there.

Going trout fishing had been on my bucket list for many years. I grew up in New England with a father that always managed to find a fishing spot no matter where we went, but I never got to fish in a trout stream myself. So I was really looking forward to our trip to North Carolina, and am very happy we found Tom. He really knows his way around, provided all our gear, and was very patient with my husband (another novice) and me. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and look forward to meeting up with Tom again on our next trip up there.